The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education

Education is important. Few would argue that fact and political leaders almost always make statements in favor of improving education and often include it among their top priorities. America’s public education, while certainly important, is constantly under attack by those who feel it isn’t working and should be completely revamped, even dismantled. The many issues regarding education and ways to improve are the subject of this book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System.This book cross- examines much of what is wrong with the current education system and it focuses a good deal of space to talking about school choice and standardized testing. What this book advocates has been supported by many others; namely the idea that school choice is a farce that only ends up draining money from a public school system already in dire need of funds and that testing is a not useful nor is it a fair means for assessing student performance. What is interesting is that the book’s author was once a supporter of educational choice and testing, but has reversed her position. She has seen the data, studied the situation, and determined that neither of these positions are good for education and are detrimental to young people.At one time, I was also a supporter of choice, but I have since revised my position, much for the same reasons outlined in this book. Having choices certainly sounds good, but if you start to allow vouchers for private schooling, you siphon off money from the public schools that need the funds. And to say that private schools- or charter schools for that matter- are better than public schools is misleading because private and charters have the option to reject applicants and/or expel problem students. And with testing, the problem is that teachers are held to impossible standards and end up devoting far too much of their time in the classroom to test preparation. They are forced to turn their attention to testing and how to do well on a standardized test when they need to be focused on innovative teaching.Another reason to like this book is that it is not just a long rant about what is wrong with America’s education system. It is also a guide for improvement and it lists out many changes that would help make America’s education system a model for the rest of the world. Parental involvement is one thing. Another is increased investment in public education, particularly in areas of the country where it is most needed. Another is the elimination of for- profit schools because they tend to cause administrators to sway from educational needs of students in favor of making money.America’s educational system needs repair and The Death and Life of the Great American School system is a great way to learn what is broken and how to fix it. The book is well- written, persuasive, sensible, and includes decades of wisdom from one of America’s foremost educators. Read it and prepare to take action!

Some things you read make you want grab the shoulders of anyone within reach and yell, “Dammit, pay attention to this!” This is one of those times. Diane Ravitch may well be America’s preeminent civic educator; her prism is education, but her writing exposes seminal truths about the U.S. She explains the history and politics of public education during the past few decades and how the issue has been one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement over that span—to the detriment of the nation. Americans and readers around the world trying to make sense of contemporary U.S. politics should consider picking up this masterful analysis and call to action. This edition is substantially revised and updated from the 2009 edition; so if you read that one, get this too.Ravitch exposes school choice as a ruse that, far from giving parents options, actually allows charter and voucher schools to cherry pick students to raise their cumulative test scores. As these schools rob money and resources from public schools, they are left with the task of educating children with developmental and learning disabilities as well as poorer and lower achieving students who, ironically, require more resources and nurturing, not less. Yet, the U.S. is “one of the few nations in the world that spend more on affluent students than on poor students.” These policies also create de facto segregation. “Yet,” as Ravitch concludes, “‘reformers’ choose to ignore poverty and segregation and pretend they don’t matter.” Indeed, choice policies are “no substitute for medical care, good jobs, adequate nutrition, sound housing, and safe communities” which impact every student’s potential.As Ravitch makes clear throughout this book, American public education is arguably the most important institution that has sustained the U.S. throughout its history. Public schools are much more than centers of learning. “The basic responsibility of public education is to develop a sense of citizenship, an understanding of democracy, and a readiness to help improve one’s community and society.” Healthy communities are built around healthy public schools. Yet, for many policymakers and profiteers, schools and students have become commodities to reap short term economic profit. “No other high performing nation in the world” does the things that are being done to public education in the U.S. Rather than use education policy to value children as investments in our nation’s future, policy in the U.S. has put public education’s very existence at stake. And to make it even worse, the nation has now elected a president, Congress, state legislatures, and local governments who might destroy it. That is why Ravitch’s explanations and arguments are more important than ever. Dammit, pay attention to this!

I ended up buying the paperback version. Old dog had a tough time with the new trick of taking notes on Kindle. But the font enlargement feature was preferable on Kindle. Teeny print in ye old fashioned book. Used for a seminar class (graduate school)

This was a great choice, the book came very fast and was low priced! I will definitely use this company again!

This book should be required reading for every parent of a school-aged child.Ravitch explores the history of education in America and tracks its course, from the point "A Nation at Risk" (ANAR) frightened us into thinking our education was lagging the world through the commercialization of education with private charters and metrics/standards funded by Gates. She spends time addressing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its Obama-era replacement, Race to the Top. And perhaps most importantly, she addresses history through her own changing understanding, admitting where she has changed her own viewpoints and helping readers to see why.This is a book that will really make you think about the American education system, ask yourself why we've made the choices we did, and consider the merits of your own child's participation in state testing. Highly, highly recommend.

An absolute must-read for anyone interested in the American school system. The subtitle (How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education) says it all.The book is extremely well-written, and Diane Ravitch makes amazingly compelling arguments for her positions.

Not my normal choice for reading material. I got this book for one of my Masters classes. Excellent source of information about our countries educational system & curriculum. Highly recommend!

Para quem não teve a oportunidade de ler, leia, pois é muito bom e a forma que a autora descreve suas perspectivas sobre a educação é algo que vale a pena aprender.

a brilliant critical book about the American school system.